Pit Fire

10 Pieces for the Fir Pit ( Before)

I tried my hand at having a Pit Fire. I made 10 clay pieces out of a sculptural stoneware that can be fired to cone 10. I bisqued the pieces I made first in my electric kiln to cone 04. All pieces were Terra Sig'd except the small pinch pot. 

Then I decided to do this atmospheric firing in my fire pit at home.

One Necklace Pendant cracked but everything else made it. 





Here are my steps that I followed:

1. Layered bricks on the bottom of my pit so  I didnt crack my pit.
2. Layered sawdust on top of the bricks to make a 6inch layer.
3. Wrapped copper wire around some pots, placed horse hair inside some pieces, wrapped steel wool around some, wrapped copper scribes around some, placed felt on some.
4. Arranged pots in sawdust
5. Sprinkled table salt around and on some pots
6. Sprinkled Coffee grinds and orange peels around pots
7. Sprinkled Miracle Grow around the pots
8. Threw Vermiculite on half the pots
9. Placed banana peels on one pot
10. Placed wood on top of all the pots
11. Lit the fire and let burn until it was just embers- had a big bonfire for a good 3 hours.
12. It started to rain at this time so I covered the pit with aluminum foil and hoped for the best.
13. 12 hours later I unloaded the pit and a couple of pots were still warm.

Here are my results and some of the step by step photos. 

Bricks on Bottom

Sawdust

Pots wrapped in various media

Miracle Grow is the Blue Stuff

Wood covering pots- sage for breakage protection  

This baby burned hot

close up of some pots

 

BEFORE AND AFTER PHOTOS

Before
 

Wrapping Copper Wire Around the Pot

After

Before

After- Was wrapped in Steel Wool

Before

After- Copper wool and banana peels

Before

After - Horse Hair

Before

After-Copper Wire Wrapped

Before

After- Steel Wool

Before

After- Horse Hair

Before

After- Copper Wool

Before

After- Felted Wool